JESUS IN UNAMBIGUOUS TERMS SAID THAT HE
WAS A PROPHET JUST LIKE ELIJAH & ELISHA
By:
Rev. Prof. J. J.
Kenez, D.Sc.
The Humble Vessel of the Holy Spirit
of God, the Creator of the Universe
ABSTRACT
1.
Christendom,
for now, is confused! We are very idolatrous in respect of equating Jesus with
God, the Creator!
2.
It violates the
first three commandments Moses received on Mount
Sinai !
3.
A pagan emperor
deified him in order to marry a Christian lady centuries ago and to date
Christians join him in the idolatry of trying to set Jesus up against his
father!
4.
Jesus never
called himself the ‘Son of God’ rather he always insisted on ‘Son of Man’ all
through the gospel narratives. Both ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ’ are Greek words, not
the Aramaic names the angel gave him!
5.
There is not
one place ‘Jesus Christ’ is used as a double-barrelled name for Jesus in all
the original texts of King James Version of the Christian Bible!
6.
Saul of Tarsus
7.
‘Prof. Kenez’
is not the same thing as ‘Kenez Prof.’ Think about this for a while!
8.
Adam was definitely
the ‘Son of God’, and only he could rightly claim it!
9.
God re-named
Solomon ‘Jedidah’ and only he could also claim the title!
10.
But Jesus he
was never ‘God, the Almighty Father’ as many misinformed Christians portray in
the fanatical prayers and commercial lyrics of worship songs today!
THERE IS NO NEED TO DEIFY
ONE WHO CONSISTENTLY STATED THAT HE WAS;
- “Son of Man”; that was mentioned
194 times in both the OT and NT as
against “Son of God” mentioned only 47 times, with Jesus referring to
himself 48 times in the gospels) and
- “A Prophet” as
he stated in Matt
- It beats my reasoning faculties
when religious fanatics are blindly followed just because they call
themselves pastors, evangelists, priests or bishops.
- Paul, the Apostle of the
Gentiles, never referred to Jesus as co-equal to God, the Creator and
Father of all human beings! He never reversed the order he always used to
refer to him; Christ Jesus.
- In all the four gospels in
original King James Version, there was not a single use of Jesus with any
other attachment or appellation; only Jesus! Moreover, the word ‘JESUS’ is
Greek, not the Aramaic name the angel gave him!
- No, it was some Roman
theologians who contrived their own gospel and appended; ‘
The “Saviour” or “Messiah”
was a title he earned since his predecessors failed to achieve the status. This
he achieved by total obedience to the Will of the Almighty, whereas others
fumbled!
- Moses was a saviour for the
enslaved Israelites in Egypt, but he struck the rock twice instead of once
and so failed.
- Samson was a saviour for the
Israelites maltreated by the Philistines, but despite his anointing from
the womb, he permitted Delilah to lead him astray.
- Solomon was a saviour king
chosen by God to build him a temple and restore peace in Israel, but
despite the enormous wisdom bestowed on him for the assignment; he became an
easy prey for the Queen of Sheba!
However, Jesus earned the coveted title due to his compliance with
the Will of the Almighty Father; Matt 7:21; 21 "Not everyone who says to
me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven. and total obedience to His dictates; Matt 12:50; 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my
brother and sister and mother;" all
through his ministry to merit the elevation to a salvific prophet, the Messiah of
his people promised from the time of Abraham. He defeated the devil and so he
excelled where others had failed.
Matt 4:1-11; 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to
be tempted by the devil. …. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you
are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." …. 5 Then the
devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the
temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself
down. 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your
God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil
took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their splendour. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if
you will bow down and worship me." 10
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the
Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came
and attended him.
By citing only Elijah and Elisha, 24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no
prophet is accepted in his hometown. …. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of
them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon
He meticulously studied the Laws, the Prophets and digested all the
books on Judaism; Matt 5:17 -18; 17 "Do not think
that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfil them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
From age twelve to thirty, which was missing in all his biographies,
he lived a monastic life outside his community! On graduation and return to his
native land, he allowed John to baptise him in the River Jordan 3:17 -4:1; 17 And a voice from
heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased." Here, he was adopted as a
perfect master to redeem Israel
My thesis is that Jesus,
the Christ, achieved the climax of stewardship by a detailed observance of all the
details that were foretold about the Messiah!
HERE IS A VERBATIM QUOTATION FROM THE BIBLE THAT AGREES WITH AND
SUCCINTLY CORROBORATES MY ASSERTION
Luke 4:20-32
20 Then he rolled up the
scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the
synagogue were fastened on him,
21 and he began by saying to them, "Today
this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
22 All spoke well of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this
Joseph's son?" they asked.
23 Jesus said to them,
"Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do
here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum
24 "I tell you the
truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
25 I assure you that
there were many widows in Israel
26 Yet Elijah was not
sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon
27 And there were many in Israel
28 All the people in the
synagogue were furious when they heard this.
29 They got up, drove him
out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was
built, in order to throw him down the cliff.
30 But he walked right
through the crowd and went on his way.
31 Then he went down to Capernaum Galilee , and on the Sabbath
began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his
message had authority.
From the New International
Version of the Christian Bible
LET US LISTEN TO ADAM
CLARKE, A BIBLE SCHOLAR COMMENT ON THEM!
20 And he closed the book,
and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the
synagogue were fixed on him. (RSV)
20 And shutting the book he gave it back to
the servant and took his seat: and the eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed
on him. (BBE)
ACC Barnes JFB PNTC RWP TFG
TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 20. Were fastened on him.] Were attentively fixed
on him. The proper import of atenizontev autw.
21 And he began to say to them, "Today
this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (RSV)
21 Then he said to them, Today this word has
come true in your hearing. (BBE)
Barnes FBN JFB JWN PNTC RWP
TSK
22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at
the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is
not this Joseph's son?" (RSV)
22 And they were all giving witness, with
wonder, to the words of grace which came from his mouth: and they said, Is not
this the son of Joseph? (BBE)
Ps 45:2; Mt 13:54; Mr 6:2; Lu
2:47; Joh 6:42
GBN ACC Barnes FBN JFB JWN
PNTC RWP TFG TSK WBN
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 22. At the gracious words] To the words of grace,
epi toiv logoiv thv caritov, or the doctrines of grace, which he then preached.
It is very strange that none of the evangelists give us any account of this sermon!
There was certainly more of it than is related in Lu 4:21. To-day is this
scripture fulfilled in your ears; which seems to have been no more than the
first sentence he spoke on the occasion. Had it been necessary for our
salvation, it would have been recorded. It was a demonstration to those Jews,
that Jesus, who preached to them, was the person of whom the prophet there
spoke: it was not designed for general edification. Let us make a good use of
what we have got, and we shalt not regret that this sermon is lost. The ear is
never satisfied with hearing: we wish for another and another revelation, while
sadly unacquainted with the nature and design of that which God's mercy has
already given us.
23 And he said to them, "Doubtless you
will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard
you did at Capernaum
23 And he said to them, Without doubt you will
say to me, Let the medical man make himself well: the things which to our
knowledge were done at Capernaum
Mt 4:13; 11:23 ; 13:54 ; Mr 6:1
ACC Barnes FBN JFB JWN PNTC
RWP TFG TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 23. Physician, heal thyself] That is, heal the
broken-hearted in thy own country, as the latter clause of the verse explains
it; but they were far from being in a proper spirit to receive the salvation
which he was ready to communicate; and therefore they were not healed.
24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no
prophet is acceptable in his own country. (RSV)
24 And he said to them, Truly I say to you, No
prophet is honoured in his country. (BBE)
Mt 13:57; Mr 6:4; Joh 4:44
ACC Barnes FBN JFB JWN PNTC
RWP TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 24. No prophet is accepted] See on Mt 13:55 -57.
25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many
widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years
and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; (RSV)
25 Truly I say to you, There were a number of
widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three
years and six months and there was no food in the land; (BBE)
1Ki 17:9; 18:1; Jas 5:17
GBN ACC Barnes FBN JFB JWN
PNTC RWP TFG TSK WBN
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 25. In the days of Elias] See this history, 1Ki
17:1-9, compared with 1Ki 18:1-45. This was evidently a miraculous
interference, as no rain fell for three years and six months, even in the rainy
seasons. There were two of these in Judea , called the first and the
latter rains; the first fell in October, the latter in April: the first
prepared the ground for the seed, the latter ripened the harvest. As both these
rains were withheld, consequently there was a great famine throughout all the
land.
26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only
to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon
26 But Elijah was not sent to one of them, but
only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. (BBE)
ACC Barnes JFB PNTC RWP TFG
TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 26. Unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto
Sarepta] The sentence is elliptical, and means this: To none of them was Elias
sent; he was not sent except to Sarepta; for the widow at Sarepta was a
Sidonian, not a widow of Israel. PEARCE.-Sarepta was a pagan city in the
country of Sidon, in the vicinity of Galilee .
27 And there were many lepers in Israel
27 And there were a number of lepers in Israel
in the time of Elisha the prophet, and not one of them was made clean, but only
Naaman the Syrian. (BBE)
2Ki 5:14
ACC Barnes FBN JWN PNTC RWP
TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 27. None of them was cleansed] This verse is to
be understood as the 26th; for Naaman, being a Syrian, was no leper in Israel
The meaning of these verses
is, God dispenses his benefits when, where, and to whom he pleases. No person
can complain of his conduct in these respects, because no person deserves any
good from his hand. God never punishes any but those who deserve it; but he
blesses incessantly those who deserve it not. The reason is evident: justice
depends on certain rules; but beneficence is free. Beneficence can bless both
the good and the evil; justice can punish the latter only. Those who do not
make this distinction must have a very confused notion of the conduct of Divine
Providence
28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue
were filled with wrath. (RSV)
28 And all who were in the Synagogue were very
angry when these things were said to them. (BBE)
GBN ACC Barnes FBN JFB JWN
PNTC RWP TFG TSK WBN
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 28. Were filled with wrath] They seem to have
drawn the following conclusion from what our Lord spoke: "The Gentiles are
more precious in the sight of God than the Jews; and to them his miracles of
mercy and kindness shall be principally confined." This was pretty near
the truth, as the event proved. Those who profit not by the light of God, while
it is among them, shall have their candle extinguished. The kingdom of God
29 And they rose up and put him out of the
city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that
they might throw him down headlong. (RSV)
29 And they got up and took him out of the
town to the edge of the mountain on which their town was, so that they might
send him down to his death. (BBE)
ACC Barnes FBN JFB RWP TFG
TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 29. The brow of the hill] Mr. Maundrel tells us
that this is still called "the Mountain of the Precipitation, and is half
a league southward of Nazareth
In this protracted discourse, the Biblical
Scholar has provided us abundant evidence to show that Jesus performed as other
prophets who came before him did!
So, my grouse with modern day fanatics is; DID
JESUS EVER CLAIM HE WAS EQUAL TO HIS FATHER?
DID HE AT ANY TIME TELL ANYONE THE GENUINE SIGNS OF THE END OF THE
WORLD? He emphatically said in one passage that only the Almighty Father knew
the end of the world.
The Laws Moses received on Mount Sinai is grossly violated by the doctrines and
dogmas patented in Rome Rome Antioch
If you doubt Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez a.k.a Dr Kenez
Danmbaezue then Consult Books on Church History. He did not obtain a doctorate
in Church History, and even if he did, the aftermath of the Inquisitions and
Excommunications of notable scientists who dared tell the truth is enough for
him doubt the authenticity of Roman Historians.
NOW,
LET US EVALUATE SOME REFERENCES OF “SON OF MAN” IN THE BIBLE
(All the quotations in this section are
taken from The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by
International Bible Society, for its current English value)
Num 23:19 -20; - 19 God is not a man, that
he should lie, nor a son
of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfil? 20 I have received a command to bless; he has
blessed, and I cannot change it.”
Ps 80:17-19; - 17 Let your hand rest on
the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18 Then we will not
turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, O
LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Was Jesus a reincarnation of Prophet Ezekiel?
The reason I ask this is because no other person was more often
referred to as; “son of man” in the entire bible.
Observe that Matthew has 32 references of the label whereas Ezekiel has
more that 94! Chapters 2 and 3 alone contain the label 10 times. What’s the
linkage?
Ezek
2:1-3:27
2:1 He
said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak
to you."
2 As he
spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him
speaking to me.
3 He
said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a
rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have
been in revolt against me to this very day.
4 The
people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This
is what the Sovereign LORD says.'
5 And
whether they listen or fail to listen-- for they are a rebellious house-- they
will know that a prophet has been among them.
6 And
you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not
be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among
scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they
are a rebellious house.
7 You
must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they
are rebellious.
8 But
you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like
that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."
9 Then
I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll,
10 which
he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and
mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 3
3:1 And
he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this
scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel
2 So I
opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
3 Then
he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and
fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey
in my mouth.
4 He
then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel
5 You
are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to
the house of Israel--
6 not
to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you
cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened
to you.
7 But
the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not
willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel
8 But I
will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.
9 I
will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be
afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house."
10 And
he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all
the words I speak to you.
11 Go
now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what
the Sovereign LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."
12 Then
the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound-- May the
glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling-place!--
13 the
sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the
sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.
14 The
Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the
anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
15 I
came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River
16 At
the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me:
17
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel
18 When
I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak
out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked
man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
19 But
if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from
his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.
20
"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil,
and I put a stumbling-block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn
him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be
remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
21 But
if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely
live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."
22 The
hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me, "Get up and go out
to the plain, and there I will speak to you."
23 So I
got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the LORD was standing there,
like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River
24 Then
the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said:
"Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 And
you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so
that you cannot go out among the people.
26 I
will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be
silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house.
27 But
when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, 'This is
what the Sovereign LORD says.' Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever
will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
Who is a Prophet?
Encyclopædia
Britannica Article
“a divinely inspired revealer, interpreter, or
spokesman. In Western culture, the classic period of Israelite prophecy has
tended to predominate in analyses of the phenomenon, but the figure of the
prophet is to be found in numerous manifestations throughout history and
worldwide.
The prophet differs from other religious functionaries
and representatives of religious authority in that he claims no personal part
in his utterance. He speaks not his own mind but a revelation “from without.”
He may be “inspired” with his message (as in the case of Jeremiah), or he may
be “possessed” by a spiritual power—a god, a spirit, the Holy Ghost—which uses
him as an instrument and speaks through him (as in Aeschylus' description of
Cassandra in the Agamemnon and
of the prophet of Apollo in the Eumenides).
Plato defined the prophet as one who speaks in ecstasy, and in the Hellenistic
period Philo of Alexandria
The prophetic or charismatic (from Greek charisma, “divine gift”) state may
occur spontaneously, or it may be induced by a variety of techniques: by
meditation, by mystico-magical formulas and gestures (the mantras and mudras of esoteric Buddhism, for example), by music (II Kings
3:15, “And when the minstrel played, the power of the Lord came upon him”), by
drumming, dancing, or the ingestion of intoxicants or narcotics. Prophets very
often resist the call (Amos and Jeremiah among the Hebrew prophets; many
prospective shamans) until overcome by the superior power that wants to use
them as its instrument.
In contrast to the diviner, who uses or manipulates
objective techniques and signs to address what are primarily private needs and
anxieties, the prophet, impelled by the spirit, may articulate a message of
more general and fundamental import, enunciating principles and norms that are
critical of the present, in either a destructive or a reforming sense. He may
address his group (tribe, nation) as a whole or may found a new society that
will realize his message. The prophetic personality thus frequently becomes a
religious founder, reformer, or sectarian leader (Zoroaster, Muḥammad, and
others). The “ideal-typical” prophet (in Max Weber's sense) is, however, less
concerned with founding a new religion or introducing revolutionary reforms
than with criticizing his society from the inside, as it were, and in the light
of what he believes to be the divinely established norms underlying its
existence. If he is a revolutionary, he very frequently does not know it.
The semantic spectrum of the term prophetic has
consequently become rather wide. According to whether the emphasis is on
possession and ecstasy, inspired utterance, prediction of the future, visionary
experience, ethical fervour, passionate social criticism, sense of absolute
commitment, millenarian and apocalyptic expectation, etc., the most diverse
phenomena and personalities have been called prophetic: Montanists,
Pentecostals, Zoroaster, Muḥammad, Joachim of Fiore, Savonarola, Thomas
Müntzer, Jakob Böhme, George Fox, Joseph Smith, and many others. The moral
seriousness of the ancient Chinese sages and their profound regard for the law
of heaven has suggested comparisons with Hebrew prophecy, and the Egyptian text
known as the “Peasant's Complaint” has been claimed as a witness for a prophetic
movement in ancient Egypt. Even Marxism has at times been qualified as
prophetic, both because of its passionate protest against social injustice and
because of the eschatological structure of its doctrine.
Disregarding this wide and at times merely figurative
use of “prophetic,” there may be recognized a distinct prophetic type of
religion. Its main characteristics are a dynamic conception of a deity, an
emphasis on the will (both of God and of man) as a constitutive factor of the
religious reality, a basic dualism, a profound awareness of the seriousness of
sin (as distinct from breaking a taboo), a radical ethical outlook based on
unequivocal choice between good and evil, a positive attitude toward society
and toward this world in general, and a relationship to the time process that
could crystallize in eschatological and messianic hopes.
To cite this page:
- MLA style:
"prophet." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia
Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago
The contemporaries
of Jesus recognised him as the son of Joseph and Mary, a native of Nazareth
Let us see; John 5: 25 – 43, 7: 40 – 53
John
5:25-43
25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and
has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who
hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so
he has granted the Son to have life in himself.
27 And he has given him authority to judge
because he is the Son of Man.
28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time
is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
29 and come out-- those who have done good
will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
30 By
myself I can do nothing; I judge
only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
31 "If I testify about myself, my
testimony is not valid.
32 There is another who testifies in my
favour, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.
33 "You have sent to John and he has
testified to the truth.
34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I
mention it that you may be saved.
35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,
and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 "I have testimony weightier than that
of John. For the very work
that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that
the Father has sent me.
37 And the Father who sent me has himself
testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he
sent.
39 You diligently study the Scriptures because
you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that
testify about me,
40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 "I do not accept praise from men,
42 but I know you. I know that you do not have
the love of God in your hearts.
43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do
not accept me
(from The Holy Bible: New International
Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984,
by International Bible Society)
John
7:40-8:1
40 On hearing his words, some of the people
said, "Surely this
man is the Prophet."
41 Others said, "He is the Christ."
Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee ?
42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ
will come from David's family and from Bethlehem
43 Thus the people were divided because of
Jesus.
44 Some wanted to seize him, but no-one laid a
hand on him.
45 Finally the temple guards went back to the
chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him
in?"
46 "No-one ever spoke the way this man
does," the guards declared.
47 "You mean he has deceived you also?"
the Pharisees retorted.
48 "Has any of the rulers or of the
Pharisees believed in him?
49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the
law-- there is a curse on them."
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier
and who was one of their own number, asked,
51 "Does our law condemn a man without
first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"
52 They
replied, "Are you from Galilee , too?
Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee ."
53 Then each went to his own home.
(From The Holy Bible: New International
Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984,
by International Bible Society)
The best example that demonstrates that Jesus was a prophet can be found
in Matthew 24. Historians document in minute details how every aspect of this very
prediction of the fall of Jerusalem
MATT
24:1- 51
24:1 Jesus left the temple and was
walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its
buildings.
2
"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth,
not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown
down."
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount
of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said,
"when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of
the end of the age?"
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no-one deceives
you.
5
For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive
many.
6
You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
famines and earthquakes in various places.
8
All these are the beginning of birth-pains.
9
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you
will be hated by all nations because of me.
10
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each
other,
11
and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13
but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes
desolation', spoken of through the prophet Daniel-- let the reader understand--
16
then let those who are in Judea
flee to the mountains.
17
Let no-one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.
18
Let no-one in the field go back to get his cloak.
19
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
20
Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
21
For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the
world until now-- and never to be equalled again.
22
If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of
the elect those days will be shortened.
23
At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he
is!' do not believe it.
24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and
miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that were possible.
25
See, I have told you ahead of time.
26
"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out;
or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
27
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will
be the coming of the Son of Man.
28
Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29
"Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the
sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all
the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his
elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32
"Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: As soon as its twigs get tender
and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
33
Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the
door.
34
I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all
these things have happened.
35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36
"No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but only the Father.
37
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39
and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took
them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men will be in the field;
one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with
a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch,
because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43 But understand this: If the
owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he
would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 So you also must be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 "Who then is the faithful
and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his
household to give them their food at the proper time?
46 It will be good for that servant
whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
47 I tell you the truth, he will
put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 But suppose that servant is
wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'
49 and he then begins to beat his
fellow-servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 The master of that servant will
come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.
51 He will cut him to pieces and
assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
(From the Holy Bible: New International
Version. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984,
by International Bible Society)
The shaded areas point out the certainty of
the one making the prophetic statements.
Unlike the OT accounts that are woolly and
could be interpreted in various fashions, Jesus here demonstrated his
extraordinary foresight and authority over the details of how his prophecy
would be executed.
My submission is that Jesus was only a
prophet who spoke on behalf of the Almighty Father; he was not God and had
never claimed to be one throughout his ministry! Here I lay my argument that
Christendom is engrossed in unwarranted idolatry until some one proves
otherwise!
Note that he equally declared in vv: 36 - 39 that he was not equal to his father.
That is the crux of the matter that this discourse set out to prove. Here I
rest my case.
If anyone has a better thesis, let him
present it!
Now that we have an operational definition of a “son of
man” and that of “a prophet”, we can see the error of Christendom equating
Jesus with the Almighty Father! The best evidence is the testimony of Jesus
regarding his subordinate relationship to the Father at John 8: 12 – 51;
John 8:12-51
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he
said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life."
13 The Pharisees challenged him, "Here
you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
14 Jesus answered, "Even if I testify
on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where
I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
15 You judge by human standards; I pass
judgment on no-one.
16 But if I do judge, my decisions are
right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.
17 In your own Law it is written that the
testimony of two men is valid.
18 I am one who testifies for myself; my
other witness is the Father, who sent me."
19 Then they asked him, "Where is your
father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied.
"If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
20 He spoke these words while teaching in
the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no-one seized
him, because his time had not yet come.
21 Once more Jesus said to them, "I am
going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go,
you cannot come."
22 This made the Jews ask, "Will he
kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"
23 But he continued, "You are from below; I am from
above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I
told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the
one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins."
25 "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming
all along," Jesus replied.
26
"I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable,
and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
27 They did not understand that he was
telling them about his Father.
28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you
will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but
speak just what the Father has taught me.
29 The
one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what
pleases him."
30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith
in him.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus
said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free."
33 They answered him, "We are
Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say
that we shall be set free?"
34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the
truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in
the family, but a son belongs to it for ever.
36 So if
the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know you are Abraham's descendants.
Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
38 I am
telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have
heard from your father."
39 "Abraham is our father," they
answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then
you would do the things Abraham did.
40 As it is, you are determined to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such
things.
41 You are doing the things your own father
does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested.
"The only Father we have is God himself."
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you
would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own;
but he sent me.
43 Why
is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
44 You
belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's
desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for
there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he
is a liar and the father of lies.
45 Yet
because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
46 Can
any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you
believe me?
47 He
who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you
do not belong to God."
48 The Jews answered him, "Aren't we
right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"
49
"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honour my
Father and you dishonour me.
50 I am
not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the
judge.
51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my
word, he will never see death."
52 At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we
know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet
you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death.
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham?
He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"
54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My
Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
55
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar
like you, but I do know him and keep his word.
56 Your
father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was
glad."
57 "You are not yet fifty years
old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
58
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was
born, I am!"
59 At this, they picked up stones to stone
him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
(from The
Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society)
I do not want to add or
subtract from what Jesus said.
My people of Biafra have this saying;
“Count your teeth with your tongue”
A hilarious
epilogue from Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez
THE
EFFECT OF MUSIC ON TRUE PROPHETS OF GOD VERSUS THOSE OF THE DEVIL
by Adam Clarke
2Kings
3:15 ; The hand of the Lord came upon him.
I have spoken elsewhere of the heathen priests who endeavoured to
imitate the true prophets, and were as actually filled with the devil as the
others were with the true God.
The former were thrown into violent agitations and
contortions by the influence of the demons which possessed them, while the
latter were in a state of the utmost serenity and composure.
15 But now bring me a minstrel." And
when the minstrel played, the power of the LORD came upon him. (RSV)
15
But now, get me a player of music, and it will come about that while the man is
playing, the hand of the Lord will come on me and I will give you the word of
the Lord: and they got a player of music, and while the man was playing, the
hand of the Lord was on him. (BBE)
1Sa 10:5; 16:23 ; Eze 1:3; 3:14 ,22; 8:1
GBN ACC FBN JFB JWN TSK
Adam Clarke's Commentary:
Verse 15.
Bring me a minstrel.] A person who played on the harp. The rabbins, and
many Christians, suppose that Elisha's mind was considerably irritated and
grieved by the bad behaviour of the young men at Beth-el, and their tragical
end, and by the presence of the idolatrous king of Israel
The hand of the Lord came upon him.] The playing of the harper had the
desired effect; his mind was calmed, and the power of God descended upon him.
This effect of music was generally acknowledged in every civilized nation. Cicero
Titles have destroyed kingdoms before and after
the arrival and departure of Jesus, the Christ; who warned thus: “What comes
out of a man defiles him more than what goes into him.”
Quotations tha amplify
INTEGRATIONAL SPIRITAN MOVEMENT
Before
the advent of colonial administration, the largest political unit in Biafra ,
the South-East of Nigeria Biafra .
The relevance of this overview is to place it on record that everyone is a
product of an ethnic group that has been bombarded from infancy with cosmogical
and metaphysical concepts peculiar to his forebears who were limited in
authentic knowledge of the Creaor and the Entire Universe he engineered. We are
all equally immersed in religious bigotry until we outgrow same by
conscientious study. We need to divest ourselves of the skewed indigenous and
colonial knowledge we have learnt since birth and lifestyles we have acquired
all our lives to be in the theocentric environment to beg for Divine Wisdom
from above to dissociate ourselves from ethnocentrism before we can arrive at
an International Religion!
--Rev. Prof. J. J.
Kenez, D.Sc. (2001) the Vessel of the Holy Spirit of the Creator of the
Universe.
Religious symbols
have been borrowed across cultures and religious boundaries for centuries that
they rarely mean same things to a variety of fanatical followers or worshippers
of the plethora of religions and denominations in our present world. How do we
penetrate centuries of historical distortions of the originals to define the
pristine truths from nature and established by our Creator so that we can
arrive at the most objective version that is egalitarian, humane and applicable
in all cultures, time and clime for world peace? Or, put in another fashion,
how can we be certain that the doctrines and dogmas we hold on to today
were/are not merely fake theories from the past. In short, how do we sift truth
from human beliefs, myths, legends and/or fables forged and fabricated by sages
of old or demagogues whose objectives were merely manipulating the masses of
their generation into reverencing and/or obeying them sheepishly? This is the
task before all of us. It is the only way to arrive at ONE WORLD RELIGION.
--Dr J. K. Danmbaezue, PG Student (1981)
after the Rev Jones/Guyana Mass Religious Suicide.
The Igbo people have no name for the Giver of Life! All we have are
appellations that describe the evident and superlative traits of this
Consummate Spirit that created, creates and will still continue to create and
sustain all the beings; visible and invisible, animate and inanimate, human or
inhuman for ages in the future;
- Chi-na-eke: the ultimate
spirit that creates
- Chi-ukwu: the greatest spirit
- Obasi bi n-elu: the
omnipotent that lives on high
- Ama-di-oha: the supreme
husband of all
- Ogara-nya ngada-nga: the
wealthiest of the rich
- Ugwu ana-ari-atu egwu: the
highest mountain that is climbed with trepidation
- Ogbajiri igwe kpoo ya nku:
He that breaks steel and calls it dry wood
- Utu na agba igwe: bacteria
that eats up iron, i.e. potent ant that tears iron to shreds
- Ogbu onye mbosi ndu n’ato
ya oto: he that snuffs life out the arrogant at the apex of egocentric
pride.
In our culture, one can only give a name to what one owns, has
authority over and can dispose of at will! It is not right to give any name to
the Creator; we describe what he is and does; “Chi-na-eke”, meaning; “the
divine spirit that creates” or “Chi-Ukwu”; the Ultimate Spirit! Those who
use the label “God or gods” for the Creator; have never spelt it backwards. Try
it now and be shocked at what you get. The Igbo could not, should not and
cannot use a pejorative term or even an honourable one for their Creator!
---------Preface to RENASCENT IGBO
RELIGION by Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, Animator of I S M
Is it not cynical that each nation had prayers said for
its soldiers before each battle? Were they praying to the same God? Religion is
politics, but many uninformed adherents are hoodwinked into believing that
“God” is their President General. He was/is the supreme dictator and priests
and imams were only human administrators. In the current craze for wealth
engaged in by fake pastors, evangelists
and overseer, exploitation in religion wears different gowns; annual missionary
collections, church/mosque levies, pilgrimages, compulsory offertory
collections, harvest and bazaars. To date, centuries after some colonised
nations have won pseudo-political independence; none is independent of
religious domination by their religio-political masters. The wonder of it all
it that the above-underlined scenario is what has been happening and will
continue to happen in churches/mosques all over Africa “world without end!
Amen!” The congregation is short-changed by their wry religious leaders who wine,
dine and womanise while they go a-borrowing to take care of their children’s
health, education and other familial duties unaided by any one!
--‘BEWARE OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL
PREACHERS’- Rev. Prof. J. J. Kenez, Animator of I S M
“Freedom of Religion is the right of a person to form personal religious beliefs
according to his or her own conscience and to give public expression to these
beliefs in worship and teaching, restricted only by the requirements of public
order. Religious liberty differs from toleration in that toleration presupposes
preferential treatment of a particular creed by the state because it is an
established church or, in some cases, is the predominant religion of the
population. To achieve worldwide
religious freedom may seem impossible or sound like a mirage, but not to this
astute thinker, this writer who has been under its theocratic enslavement for
half-a-century. His answer is worth experimenting with. Have you read THE
KENEZIAN CREED, DR KENEZ LETTER TO EDUCATIONISTS, THE KENEZIAN EPITAPH and THE
ANIMATOR’S INTERNATIONAL PRAYER? After you have meditated on their contents,
the formula for how ONE WORLD RELIGION can materialise is crystal clear to all
rational human beings. We must first of take stock of the numerical strength of
the plethora of factions in the major world religions for now and evaluate how
counter-productive the multiplicity of religious organisations has demoralised
and scandalised the youth. A worldwide religious census is imperative!”
---Rev. Prof. J.J.Kenez,
the Humble vessel of the Holy Spirit of the Almighty Creator of the Universe.
- Based on what historians
have written on the emergence of religions, this author has observed that
there is no semblance of religious freedom or independence in most
communities and organisations all over the world.
- When one has to subscribe
to the tenets a foreign religion, behave according to the doctrines and
dogmas manufactured, labelled and patented outside one’s
psycho-socio-cultural milieu, is such a person really independent?
- I know that there is only
True God, the Almighty Creator of the entire universe, the greatest
Designer, Architect and Engineer who embedded universal laws for the every
being he has created.
- True worship of this
Ultimate Reality is Obedience to all his Natural and Eternal Laws
irrespective of place, time and clime surrounding each person’s birth,
parentage and social status.
- Therefore, the only
religion that we are born into is true adoration, thanksgiving, mutual
respect and brother/sisterhood to all peoples. We must worship Him in the
Spirit of Truth and Fraternal Love which his Holy Spirit dictates and
infuses in our individual hearts.
That peace will reign among all the creatures of the Almighty Creator,
I pray!
You
are invited to positively criticise every sentence or proposition in all of
this lengthy discourse, backed up with relevant Bible quotations as has been
done here and correct or modify our errors provided you are very objective and
can caryy humanity along with you!
Send in your commentaries via; Dr J. K.
Danmbaezue, saintkenez@yahoo.co.uk
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